Door holding devices



July 18, 1961 R. 1. SCHONITZER ETAL DOOR HOLDING DEVICES Filed June 23,1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS R0000 ZSc/v'o/v/rZEIP A/vaao R. de V/roArman/5Y5 July 18, 1961 R. l. SCHONITZER ETAL 2,992,451

DOOR HOLDING DEVICES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1958 IIL 3INVENTORS zfllaomfl [SC/IONITZER Awe-40 A. de V/ro ly 1961 R. I.SCHONITZER ETAL 2,992,451

DOOR HOLDING DEVICES Filed June 25, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORSRwoL/w litwamrza'k Arvaeao R. de M ra y 1961 R. l. SCHONITZER ETAL2,992,451

DOOR HOLDING DEVICES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 23, 1958 INVENTORSP000424 1- .Sc/m/Wrze-R BY a A/vasLo 1?. de V/ro I ,4 Arro 2,992,451DOOR HOLDING DEVICES Rudolph I. 'Schonitzer, Shaker Heights, and AngeloR. De Vito, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to Lisle W. Menzirner, trustee,Rockford, Ill.

Filed June 23, 1958, Ser. No. 743,587 8 Claims. (Cl. 16141) Thisinvention relates to holding devices for automobile doors and the likewhich have a tendency to swing, usually a normal tendency to fall shut.Door holding devices of the kind provided by this invention are oftenreferred to as infinite-position holding devices because they act tohold the door in any open position to which it is moved and leftstanding, but still permit the door to be readily moved to any otherdesired position.

This application is related, as to subject matter and through commonownership, to co-pending application Serial No. 726,235 filed April 3,1958.

The tendency for an automobile door to swing is frequently the resultof, or influenced by, an inclined hinge axis incident to body designrequirements or other factors, and may also be produced by various othercauses such as by the transverse curvature or crown of a pavement orroad, by the slope of a hill, or by a gust of wind. Such a tendency,when in the closing direction, causes the door to strike the legs of aperson entering or leaving the automobile. This tendency of anautomobile door to swing is prevented or minimized by the holding meansof the present invention which is effective to hold the door in any openposition in which it is left standing, without preventing a relativelyfree manual movement of the door to any other desired position.

As one of its objects, this invention accordingly provides a novelinfinite-position door holding means or device comprising a ramp meanshaving a curved-surface thrust portion and a follower means relativelyslidable on the ramp means, the resistance to sliding between thefollower means and the ramp means or the thrust portion of the latterbeing effective to produce a substantially balanced condition of thedoor for holding the same in any open position to which it is moved.

Another object is to provide a novel door holding device of thecharacter just mentioned and wherein the thrust portion of the rampmeans extends in an arcuate and eccentric relation around the hinge axisand the follower means is shiftable generally radially of the hinge axisfor maintaining the sliding engagement with the thrust portion and isheld against the latter by spring means.

Still another object is to provide a novel door holding device of thecharacter above referred to and which is of a simple, rugged and compactconstruction adapted to be readily embodied in the hinge means of thedoor.

Additionally, this invention provides a novel door holding device of theco-operating ramp and follower type and adapted for incorporation in ahinge means employing a hinge bracket made of stamped metal and havingspaced walls or flanges, and wherein the ramp means comprises a pair oframps on the spaced walls or flanges and preferably formed by edgeportions thereof, the follower means being in sliding engagement withboth ramps preferably by extending in a spanning relation across suchedge portions.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent in thefollowing detailed description and in the accompanying drawings forminga part of this specification and wherein,

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevation of an automobile body having doorholding means or device of the present invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a partial transverse horizontal section taken States Patent2,992,451 Patented July 18, 1961 on section line 2-2 of FIG. 1 andshowing the door holding device on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a partial transverse horizontal section similar to that ofFIG. 2 but showing the door in its full-open position;

FIG. 4 is a partial transverse vertical section taken on section line4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on sectionline 5-5 of FIG. 2 and showing check means engageable by the hinge armwhen the door is in the full-open position;

FIG. 6 is a transverse horizontal section similar to that of FIG. 2 butshowing a first modified form of door holding device;

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the door holding device of FIG. 6 indetached relation and representing the condition of the holding devicewhen the door is in the full-open position;

FIG. 8 is a transverse vertical section taken on section line 8-8 ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through the holding meansof FIG. 6 as indicated by section line 9-9 thereof;

FIG. 10 is another fragmentary vertical section taken on section line1010 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a second modified form of door holdingdevice in a detached relation and in a condition corresponding with theclosed position of the door;

FIG. 12 is a plan view similar to that of FIG. 11 but showing thecondition of the holding device when the door is in its full-openposition;

FIG. 13 is a vertical section through the door holding device of FIG.11, the view being taken as indicated by section line 13-13 thereof;

FIG. 14 is a vertical section taken on section line 1414 of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary plan view corresponding with a portion of FIG.11 but showing a somewhat diiferent follower means.

Proceeding now with a more detailed description of the door holdingmeans or device of this invention and the application thereof to anautomobile or the like, FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings show sucha door holding device 10 associated with door and door supportstructures 11 and 12 of an automobile body 13. The door 11 is swingableon an upright hinge axis provided by the hinge pins 14 of a pair ofvertically spaced hinges 15 and 16 and comprises a hollow door structurehaving spaced outer and inner side walls 17 and 18 and a hinge anchoragemeans 19 located in the chamber or space 20 between such walls. The door11 also includes an upright edge wall 21 which faces toward the supportstructure 12 when the door is in its closed position as shown in FIGS. 1and 2.

The door support structure 12 is here shown as being an uprightdoorframe portion of the automobile body 13 comprising spaced outer andinner side walls 23 and 24 and having a chamber or recess 25 thereinbetween the planes of such outer and inner walls. An upright anchoragewall 26 for attachment of the hinges 15 and 16 extends between the sidewalls 23 and 24 and faces realwardly of the vehicle and toward the dooropening. The support structure 12 may also include an upright edge wall27 spaced rearwardly from the upright anchorage wall 26 and with respectto which the upright edge wall 21 of the door 11 occupies an opposedposition when the door is fully closed. The upright edge wall 27 can beomitted from the support structure 12 but, when used, is provided withsuitable clearance openings therein for the hinges 15 and 16.

The design of the automobile body 13 is here shown as being aconventional one in which the hinge pins of the hinges 15 and :16provide a substantially vertical hinge axis 30 for the door 11 and whichaxis in inclined from the vertical. The direction and extent of. theinclination of the hinge axis 30 are such that the door 11 has a normaltendency to swing, usually a normal tendency to fall shut, when it hasbeen manually swung to an open position and released by the operator.

The door holding device develops or produces a holding action or forcewhich counteracts the normal tendency of the door 11 to swing or fallshut and, as explained in greater detail hereinafter, provides asubstantially balanced condition for the door such that the door will beheld in any open position to which it has been moved and left standing,but will nevertheless be readily movable to any other of its positionsto which the operator may wish to move it.

The holding device 10 comprises co-operating ramp means and followermeans here shown in the form of co-operating ramp and follower members32 and 33 which are associated with the door support structure 12 andthe door structure 11 and produce for the latter the holding actionreferred to just above. In the door holding device 10, the ramp member32 is associated with the door support structure 12 and the followermember 33 is associated with the door 11. The holding device 10 is alsoshown herein as being associated with the hinge means of the door 11, inthis case the upper hinge 15 thereof. In the holding device 10, asdisclosed herein, the ramp member 32 is associated with and carried bythe portion of the hinge 15 which is attached to the door supportstructure 12 and the follower member 33 is associated and carried by theportion of this hinge which is attached to the door 11.

The hinge 15 comprises a hinge bracket 35 mounted on the door supportstructure 12 and a hinge arm 36 attached to the door 11 and pivotallyconnected with the hinge bracket by the hinge pin 14. The hinge bracket35 is usually a die-formed metal member, preferably a stamped sheetmetal member, and comprises upper and lower flanges 37 and 38 and anupright attaching wall or web 39 connecting such flanges and providingfor attachment of the hinge bracket to the anchorage wall 26 by suitablylocated screws 40. The hinge bracket 35 also comprises formed kneeportions 41 and 42 on the flanges 37 and 38 and which provide mountingportions for the hinge pin 14.

The hinge arm 36 is usually a die-formed metal member and has the formof a bell-crank lever carrying an eye portion 43 at the front endthereof which is received between the knee portions 41 and 42 of thehinge bracket and is pivoted on the hinge pin 14. The other end of thehinge arm 36 projects from the recess 25 of the door support structure12 and has the door 11 mounted thereon as by means of the attachingscrews 44 which connect the anchorage means 19 of the door with thehinge arm.

The ramp member 32 is here shown as being a curved or crescent-shapedmember or sector portion carried by the flange 37 of the hinge bracketand comprising legs or flanges 46' and 47 in a substantially right-anglerelation to each other, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The leg 46 formsan attaching leg by which the ramp member 32 is secured to the flange 37as by the use of suitable attaching screws '43. The leg 47 is of aconcavely curved shape and extends arcuately and eccentrically aroundthe hinge axis 30 with its concavely curved side presented toward thelatter.

The follower member 33 is here shown in the form of a plunger memberwhich is slidable on the ramp member 32 during swinging movements of thedoor 11 and is shiftable substantially radially of the hinge axis 30 formaintaining its sliding engagement with the ramp member during theopening and closing swinging movements of the door. Guide means isprovided on the hinge arm 36 for supporting the follower member 33 and 4guides the same during the radial shifting thereof. Such supporting andguiding means for the follower member 33 is here shown as comprising aguide tube 50 having the following member 33 slidable therein and anattaching bracket 51 which is secured to the hinge arm 36 by suitablescrews 52. Y

The attaching bracket 51 comprises in intermediate portion 51 throughwhich the screws 52 extend for clamping such intermediate portionagainst the hinge arm 36, and a pair of end flanges or arms 53 and 54for supporting the guide tube 50. The arm 53 is provided with an openingin which one end of the guide tube 50 is received, as shown in FIG. 4,and the arm as forms a recessed cover means in which the other end ofthe guide tube is engaged. The arm 54 is provided with a guide opening55 centrally of the cover means.

The follower member 33 comprises a metal plunger head 57 which isslidable in the guide tube 5t? and projects therefrom for co-operationwith the ramp member 32, and a stem 58 connected with the head andslidably movable in the guide opening 55. A compression spring 59,usually a preloaded spring, is disposed in the guide tube 50 insurrounding relation to the stem 58 of the follower member. One end ofthe spring 59 is seated against the cover means of the arm 54, and theother end thereof is seated against the head 57 of the follower membersuch that the spring is continuously effective on the follower member 33for holding the same in sliding engagement with the ramp member 32. Thefollower member is held against rotation about the axis of the stem 51by providing the latter with a flat surface 60 on one side thereof whichcooperates with a similar flat portion provided on the arm 54 at oneside of the guide opening 55.

The sliding engagement of the ramp member 33 with the follower member 32can be a sliding engagement directly with the arcuately andeccentrically extending curved leg 47 as a thrust element or surface,but preferably, the thrust element or surface of the ramp member 32 isprovided by a nonmetallic member or strip 61 mounted on the leg 47 andhaving substantially the same concavely curved shape and eccentriclocation relative to the hinge axis 30. The thrust element 61 is made ofa suitable plastic material such as nylon, and may be in the form of asubstantially uniform thickness layer of such plastic material which issecured to the ramp member 32 by any suitable attaching means. In thiscase the attaching means is shown as comprising rivets 62 althoughcement can be used or a combination of such attaching mediums. Theplastic material of the thrust element 61 is yieldable or resilientlyflexible rather than hard or brittle, and the sliding engagement of thefollower member 33 thereon will accordingly have a desired uniformfriction coefficient and will provide for a smooth and quiet functioningof the door holding device 10 with minimum abrasion or wear on the rampmember.

The end or contact portion of the follower member 33 which engages thethrust element 61 is a transversely curved or convex contact portion 63having substantially the same curvature as the thrust element so that asubstantial area Will be provided for the sliding engagement of thefollower member with the thrust element. Because of the flexible andresilient character of the thrust element 61, this member will beindented somewhatrby the follower member 33 particularly when the latteris in a rest position. This indentation by the follower member istemporary only inasmuch as the resilient character of the plastic causesthe thrust element 61 to restore itself to a smooth and regular contourpromptly after the follower member has moved to a different locationtherealong. The temporary indentation thereof causes the plastic thrustelement 61 to provide a factor of additional resistance to movement ofthe follower member away from such a rest position, and this addedresistance factor contributes to the effectiveness of the holding devicein developing or producing its holding action for holding the door 11 ina desired open position to which it is moved and left standing.

From the construction and arrangement of the door holding device as thusfar described, it will be seen that during the opening and closingswinging movements of the door 11 the guide tube 50 and its attachingbracket 51 sweep along the ramp member 32 and cause the abovementionedsliding of the follower member 33 on the arcuate and eccentric thrustelement 61. To accommodate this sweeping movement of the attachingbracket 51, the flange 37 of the hinge bracket is provided with arcuateclearance slots 65 and 66 through which the arms 53 and 54 extend asshown in FIG. 4.

The location of the ramp member 32 on the hinge bracket 35 is in theorientation shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 from which it will be seen that theend 32 of the ramp member which lies at a shorter radial distance fromthe hinge axis 30 is located nearest the center-line of the vehicle andpoints in a generally longitudinal and forward direction on the latter.It will also be observed that the end 32 which is spaced at a relativelygreater radial distance from the hinge axis 30 extends generallytransversely of the vehicle and points in an outward direction away fromthe center-line of the vehicle.

Because of this orientation of the ramp member 32 and its eccentricarcuate relation to the hinge axis 30, it will also be seen that the end32 can be conveniently referred to as the downhill end and the end 32'can be referred to as the uphill end. Additionally, it will be seen thatby reason of this orientation and arrangement, the sliding travel of thefollower member 33 on the thrust element 61 will be a travel in anuphill direction along the thrust element during swinging of the door 11toward its closed position shown in FIG. 2 and the sliding travel of thefollower member along the thrust element during the opening movement ofthe door will be a downhill travel.

It will accordingly be understood that the door holding action or forcedeveloped between the ramp member 32 and the follower member 33 willcomprise several factors including the sliding friction between the rampmember and the thrust element 61, the effect of the temporaryindentation of the thrust element by the follower member, the thrust andloading flexure of the spring 59, and the uphill inclination oreccentric characteristic of the thrust element. Thus, when the door 11is swung to an open position and the operators hand is removedtherefrom, any swinging tendency of the door such as a normal tendencyto fall shut by reason of the above-mentioned inclination of the hingeaxis, will be resisted by the friction between the follower member andthrust element, by the uphill character of the sliding travel of thefollower member on the ramp member, and by the resistance of the spring59 to increased loading flexure thereof.

The dimensional values for the associated components are such that theholding action, developed by the device 10 for the door 11 by thevarious factors just referred to above, will provide a substantiallybalanced condition for the door which will cause the door to remain inany open position to which it is moved and left standing but will stillpermit the door to be freely movable to any other desired position. Itwill likewise be seen that during the opening movement of the door 11,the expansive action of the spring 59 and the downhill sliding travel ofthe follower member 33 on the ramp member 32 under the unloading flexureof the spring, will assist the opening movement of the door.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the holding device It includes check meansfor limiting the movement of the door 11 in the opening direction whenthe door approaches or reaches its full-open position. This check meanscomprises a stop in the form of a pin or rivet 67 extending through theflanges 37 and 38 of the hinge 6 bracket 35 and engageably by the hingearm 36 as shown in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 6 to 10 inclusive of the drawings show a door holding device 70which is similar in character to the door holding device 10 but differstherefrom in that the ramp member 72 is carried by the hinge arm 73 andthe follower member 74 slidable in a guide sleeve 75 which is mounted onthe hinge bracket 76. The ramp member 72 is of the same general shape asthe ramp member 32 and carries a plastic thrust element 77 similar tothe abovedescribed thrust element 61. The ramp member 72 is mounted onthe hinge arm 73 by suitable angle-shaped attaching brackets 78 andsuitable attaching screws and rivets 79 and 80. The holding device 70 isshown in FIG. 6 as being associated with door and door supportstructures 82 and 83.

During the swinging of the door 82 relative to the door supportstructure 83, the ramp member 72 sweeps past the follower member 74 witha relative sliding engagement of the thrust element 77 against thelatter. This sweeping movement of the ramp member 72 is accommodated byan arcuate clearance slot 84 provided in the upper flange 85 of thehinge bracket and through which the ramp member extends as shown inFIGS. 6, 7 and 8.

The guide sleeve 75 [for the follower member 74 is here shown as havinga half-round cylinder portion 87 in which the head '74 of the followermember is slidable and as also having attaching flanges 38 which arewelded to the flange 85 for mounting the guide sleeve on the hingebracket. A bent lug 89 provided on the flange 85' forms a cover elementfor one end of the guide sleeve 75 and is provided with a central guideopening 90 for the stem 91 of the follower member. The head 74 of thefollower member projects from the guide sleeve 75 and has a concavelycurved contact portion 92 which conforms to the curavture of, and ismaintained in sliding engagement with, the thrust element 77 by acompression spring 93.

The spring 93 is preferably a preloaded spring and is disposed aroundthe stem 91 of the follower member. The spring 93 has one end thereof inengagement with the head 74 and its other end seated against thecoverfor-ming lug 89. The head '74 is provided on one side thereof witha flat surface 94 which is slidable on the flange 85 of the hingebracket for preventing rotation of the follower member about the axis ofits stem 91.

The location and arrangement of the ramp member 72 relative to the axis95 of the hinge pin 96- is such that during the closing movement of thedoor 82 the relative sliding travel between the ramp member "72 and thefollower member 74 will be a sliding travel in an uphill directiontending to produce'a loading flexure of the spring 93 and will cause thedevelopment of a holding force which will counterbalance the weight ofthe door 82 and the tendency of the latter to fall shut due to either apermanent or temporary inclination of the hinge axis 95. The openingmovement of the door 82 will be assisted by the expansive action of thespring 93 and the relative sliding between the ramp member 72 and thefollower member 74 during such opening movement will be a relativedownhill travel. The holding action developed by the device 70 willcause the door 82 to be held in any open position to which it is movedand left standing, in substantially the same manner as the holdingaction de veloped by the holding device 10.

The door holding device 70 includes a check means for limiting theopening movement of the door and which compirses a stop member 98provided on the hinge bracket 76 and engageable by a portion of thehinge arm 73, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, when the door 82 reaches itsfull-open posit-ion. The stop member 98 is here shown as being a strapsecured to a pair of bent lugs 99 provided on the upper and lowerflanges of the hinge bracket 76.

FIGS. 11 to 14 inclusive of the drawings show a second modified doorholding device 102 for use between door and doorframe structures in thesame relation and manner as the door holding devices and 70 and whichlikewise provides for a substantially balanced condition of the door forholding the door in any open position to which it is moved and leftstanding, but which will still permit a relatively free movement of thedoor to any other desired position. The door holding device 102 is shownin FIGS. 11 and 12 as representing an installed position of this devicefor a left front vehicle door, FIG. 11 representing the door-closedcondition of the device and FIG. 12 the door-open condition of thedevice.

The holding device 102 comprises a pair of ramp members 103 and 104provided with thrust elements 105 and 106, and a follower member 107co-operating with the ramp members and slidably engaging the thrustelements 105 and 106 thereof. The ramp members 103 and 104 are locatedon a hinge bracket 109 which is adapted to be mounted on a door supportstructure or portion of a vehicle body, and the follower member 107 islocated on a hinge arm 110 which is adapted to be connected with andsupport a door or the like associated with the door support structure.

The hinge bracket 109' is here shown as being a stamped metal memberhaving spaced walls or flanges 111 and 112 and an attaching wall or web113 connecting the flanges and adapting the bracket for attachment tothe door support structure by suitable screws. The hinge bracket 109also comprises a hinge pin 114- extending between and mounted in formedknee portions 111 and 112 of the flanges 111 and 112.

The hinge arm 110 is in the form of a bell-crank lever and comprises astamped metal member having spaced flanges 115 and 116 extendinglongitudinally of the lever and a longitudinal web 117 extending betweenand connecting the flanges. The space between the flanges 115 and 116forms a longitudinal channel recess 118 Whose bottom wall is formed bythe longitudinal web 117. The hinge arm 110 is provided at one endthereof with a straight portion 119 as an attaching portion for mountingthe door thereon, and is provided at its other end with an eye portion120 which is disposed between the knee portions 111 and 112 of the hingebracket and is pivoted on the hinge pin 114.

The ramp members 103 and 104 are carried by the flanges .111 and 112 ofthe hinge bracket and are formed by convex curved edge portions 122 and123 of these flanges and which edge portions extend in an arcuate andeccentric relation around the axis 124 of the hinge pin 114. The rampmembers 103 and 104 are provided on the hinge bracket 109 so as to havea location or orientation with respect to the vehicle body, such thatthe ends 103* and 10 1 which are at relatively greater radial distancefrom the hinge axis 124, lie nearest the center-line of the vehicle andpoint in a generally forward longitudinal direction thereof. The ends103 and 10 i of the ramp members 103 and 104, which are at a relativelycloser radial distance to the hinge axis 124 but more remote from thecenter-line of the vehicle, point in a direction generally'transverselyof the vehicle and away from the longitudinal center-line thereof.

The follower member 107 is here shown as being a metal bar extending inspanning relation between and across the ramp members 103 and 104. Thefollower member 107 is movable in guide slots 12d and 127 provided inthe flanges 115 and 116 of the hinge 110 and is shiftable in a directiongenerally radially of the hinge axis 124 for maintaining a slidingco-operaton between the follower member and the ramp members during theopening and closing swinging movements of the door. The follower memberis provided at an intermediate point thereof with a groove 128 extendingtherearound and the hinge pin 114 is provided at an intermediate pointthereof with a similar groove 129. The portions of the follower member107 which are in sliding 8 contact with the ramp members 103 and 104 areshown in FIGS. 11 to 14 as being convex contact portions.

The door holding device 102 also comprises a spring 131 which iseffective on the follower member 107 for maintaining the latter insliding co-operation with the ramp members .103 and 104 during theswinging movements of the door. The spring 131 is here shown as being atension spring having hook portions 131 and 131 at opposite ends thereofand engaged in the grooves 128 and 120 of the follower member and bingepin. The spring 131 is in a loaded condition and continuously applies apulling force to the follower member 107 for maintaining theabovementioned sliding co-operation with the ramp members 103 and 104.The engagement of the hook end 131 of the spring in the groove 128 ofthe follower member 107 retains the latter in the guide slots 126 and127 in a substantially centered relation crosswise of and between theramp members.

The sliding co-operation of the follower member 107 with the rampmembers 103 and 104 can be a. direct engagement with the arcutate edges122 and 123 thereof as thrust elements, but preferably, is a slidingengagement with the plastic thrust elements and 106 provided on the rampmembers. The plastic thrust elements 105 and 106 can be made of anysuitable plastic material, such as nylon, and are here shown as beingchannel-shaped Striplike members having longitudinal grooves in whichthe arcuate edges 122 and .123 of the flanges 111 and 112 are engagedfor mounting the thrust elements on the latter.

In addition to the engagement of the arcuate edges 122 and 123 in thegrooves of the thrust elements 105 and 106, the thrust elements can beretained on the flanges 111 and 112 by the use of suitable cementtherebetween or any other appropriate fastening medium.

The thrust elements 105 and 106 extend along the ramp members 103 and104 and conform to the arcuate and eccentric curvature of the edges 122and 123 thereof. Shifting of the thrust elements relative to and alongthe ramp members 103 and 104 is prevented by the fastening means and byco-operation of the ends of the thrust elements with retaining lugs 132and 133 provided on the flanges 111 and 112 of the hinge bracket.

With respect to the spacing of the flanges 111 and 112 along the hingeaxis 124, it will be observed from the drawings (see FIGS; 11 to 14)that these flanges are relatively widely spaced and that the distancetherebetween is greater than the mini-mum radial distance of thefriction surfaces of the thrust elements 104 and 105 from the hinge axis124. This relationship provides good stability in the door holdingdevice 102 because tendency of the follower member 107 to become tiltedor cocked will be eliminated.

From the construction and arrangement of the door holding device 102 andthe orientation of the ramp members 103 and 104, as above described, itwill be understood that during closing swinging movement of the door thefollower member 107 will be moved from its dooropen position shown inFIG. 12 with an uphill sliding movement along the ramp members to itsdoor-closed position shown in FIG. 11. During this uphill slidingmovement of the follower member on the ramp memhere, the tension spring131 will be subjected to further loading and the resistance of the rampmembers to such uphill sliding movement will resist the tendecy of thedoor to fall shut by reason of an existing permanent or temporaryinclination of the hinge axis, or due to the weight of the door or otherforces acting thereon, and will produce a substantially balancedcondition of the door such that the door will be held in any openposition to which it is moved and left standing. It will also be seenthat during the opening swinging movement of the door, the slidingmovement of the follower member on the ramp members 103 and 104 will bea downhill sliding travel and the opening movement of the door will bealso assisted by the pulling action of the spring 131.

The resistance to relative sliding of the follower member 107 on thethrust elements 105 and 106 of the ramp members is produced by the samefactors as have been mentioned above in connection with the door holdingde* vice 10 and which include the holding factor resulting from atemporary indentation of the follower member 107 into the thrustelements particularly when the door is in a rest position.

The door holding device 102 is preferably provided with detent means fordeveloping a secondary holding action for releasably holding the door inan assured rest position. The detent means is here shown as comprisingdetent elements on the ramp members and having the form of notches orrecesses 136 in the thrust elements 105 and 106 and engageable by thefollower member 107. The recesses 136 are preferably located on the rampmembers at or adjacent the downhill ends thereof. When the door is swungin the opening direction and app-roaches or arrives at the desired restposition, in this case its full-open position, the follower member 107engages in the detent recesses 13 6 for releasably holding the door insuch desired rest position.

Instead of employing a follower member of a substantially cylindricalshape the door holding device 102 can, if desired, be provided with ametal follower member 107a having end portions of a noncircular shapesuch as the end portions 138 of quadrangular shape shown in FIG. 14.When the follower member is provided with such end portions ofquadrangular shape, a relatively larger area of sliding engagement isobtained between the follower member and the thrust elements 105 and 106of the ramp members 103 and 104.

From the accompanying drawings and the foregoing detailed description itwill now be readily understood that this invention provides door holdingdevices in which relative sliding engagement between co-operating rampmeans and follower means associated with swingably connected door anddoorframe structures will provide a substantially balanced condition foran otherwise unbalanced door and will cause the door to be held in anyopen position to which it is moved and left standing, but the door willstill be easily and freely movable to any other desired position. Itwill now also be understood that the door holding devices of thisinvention are smooth and quiet in operation and produce an effectiveholding action which will prevent the annoying occurrence of anautomobile door or the like falling shut against the legs of a personentering or leaving the vehicle, or the annoying occurrence of the doorbeing swung in either an opening or closing direction by the action of agust of wind or by reason of an inclined position of the vehicle, whenthe operator wishes the open door to remain in a rest position.

Although the door holding devices of this invention have beenillustrated and described herein to a somewhat detailed extent, it willbe understood, of course, that the invention is not to be regarded asbeing limited correspondingly in scope but includes all changes andmodifications coming within the terms of the claims hereof.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In an automobile or the like having a body including door supportstructure and an associated door structure; hinge means connecting saidstructures for swinging of the door structure and providing a hinge axisinclined from the vertical so that the door structure has a normaltendency to fall shut; holding means for the door structure comprisingholding members associated with the respective structures and having aslidable relative traversing engagement with each other throughout theswinging movement of said door structure; one of said members comprisingsector-shaped ramp means having a curved thrust portion facing in asubstantially radial direction relative to said axis and extending atleast partway therearound, and the other of said members comprisingfollower means made of metal and shiftable in a direction extendinggenerally radially of said axis for maintaining the slidable engagementwith said thrust portion; and spring means effective on said followermeans for pressing the same against said thrust portion with a forceacting in a direction transverse to said axis; said follower meanshaving rest positions adjacent the opposite ends of said thrust portioncorresponding with the fullopen and door-closed positions of said doorstructure, and said thrust portion having a continuous curvatureextending therealong between said rest position; successive points alongsaid continuous curvature from the fullopen rest position to thedoor-closed rest position being at progressively increasing radialdistances from said axis so that the sliding of said follower means onsaid thrust portion is an uphill travel during the entire closingmovement of said door structure for resisting said tendency to fallshut; said thrust portion comprising plastic material along the lengththereof slidably traversed by the metal follower means; the resistanceto the relative sliding of said follower means on said thrust portionproviding a substantially balanced condition for said door structure andbeing effective to normally hold said door structure in any openposition to which it is moved and left standing.

2. In an automobile or the like having door holding means as defined inclaim 1 wherein the portion of said follower means engaging said thrustportion is of convex shape; and wherein the plastic material of saidthrust portion is flexible for limited indentation of said followermeans thereinto.

3. In an automobile or the like having door holding means as defined inclaim 1 wherein said thrust portion has a detent element thereon at thefull-open rest position of said follower means and engageable by thelatter for releasably holding said door structure in an assured restcondition at said full-open position.

4. In an automobile or the like having a body including door supportstructure and an associated door structure; hinge means including ahinge pin providing a hinge axis inclined from the vertical so that saiddoor structure has a normal tendency to fall shut and comprising a hingebracket connected with said support structure and a hinge arm connectedwith said door structure; said bracket having spaced walls lying inplanes extending transverse to said axis; holding means for said doorstructure comprising ramps on said walls, and metal follower meanscarried by said arm and slidable on said ramps throughout the swingingmovement of said door )Structure and having rest positions adjacent theopposite .ends of said ramps corresponding with the full-open anddoor-closed positions of said door structure; said ramps each having acurved thrust portion facing in a substantially radial direct-ion withrespect to said axis and extending at least part-way therearound; andspring means effective on said follower means for pressing the sameagainst the thrust portions of said ramps; the thrust portion of eachramp having a continuous curvature extending therealong between saidrest positions with successivepoints along said curvature being atprogressively increasing radial distances from said axis so that thesliding of said follower means on said thrust portions is an uphilltravel during the entire closing movement of said door structure forresisting said tendency to fall shut; the thrust portion of each rampcomprising plastic material along the length thereof slidably traversedby the metal follower means; the resistance to the relative sliding ofsaid follower means on said thrust portions providing a substantiallybalanced condition for said door structure and being effective tonormally hold said door structure in any open position to which it ismoved and left standmg.

i 5. In an automobile or the like having door holding means as definedin claim 4 wherein said follower means is elongated in the direction ofsaid hinge axis and extends in spanning relation across said thrustportions; the

11 portions of said follower means engaging said thrust portions beingconvex contact portions and the plastic material of said thrust portionsbeing flexible for limited indentation of said contact portionsthereinto.

6. In an automobile or the like having door holding means as defined inclaim 4 wherein said ramps comprise edge portions of said walls and saidthrust portions comprise channel-shaped plastic members having channelrecesses and being mounted on said ramps with said edge portions engagedin said channel recesses.

7. In an automobile or the like having door holding means as defined inclaim 4 wherein said arm projects from between said spaced walls andincludes spaced flanges; and wherein said spring means lies between saidspaced flanges and is engaged with said hinge pin and follower means;the distance between said spaced walls 12 being greater than the minimumradius of curvature of said thrust portions.

8. In an automobile or the like having door holding means as defined inclaim 4 wherein said arm comprises spaced flanges having guide slotstherein and said follower means comprises bar means extending inspanning relation across said thrust portions; said bar means havingportions of noncircular cross-section disposed in said slots and alsohaving flat portions slidable on said thrust portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,095,866 Hallenbeck Oct. 12, 1937 2,294,459 Joachim Sept. 1, 19422,342,531 Dean Feb. 22, 1944 2,736,055 Bell Feb. 28, 1956

